BB at RBC!! Breaking Benjamin Rock TO in its Only Canadian Date!!
By: Justin Michael Carriere
Toronto, Canada - Wednesday September 9th marked one week since a huge storm tore through TO and surrounding areas leading to power outages, downed trees and many a cancelled show (RIP AC/DC at Rogers Stadium). So, it was understandable that there was some palpable tension as the early crowd filed into the RBC Amphitheatre under cloudy skies and drizzling rain… luckily, the only thing we witnessed Breaking was Benjamin… (I couldn’t help it; I had to do one pun!) But! The drizzling stopped in short order and the night turned out to be just beautiful for the band’s only Canadian stop on their 2026 fall tour.
Formed in 1999 by Benjamin Burnley in Pennsylvania, Breaking Benjamin hit the mainstream in the early 2000’s with their sophomore album We Are Not Alone reaching platinum status in 2005. The band has undergone several line-up changes over the years, but Burnley (lead vocals and guitar) has been the mainstay. In 2014 he was joined by Jasen Rauch (lead guitar and programming), Keith Wallen (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Aaron Bruch (bass, backing vocals) who have all been with the band ever since, and on this tour, they’ve brought along Brian Medeiros on drums. With 6 studio albums under their belt, and another one on the way, they seem to be picking up steam, and if the RBC crowd is any indication, they have an eager fanbase along for the ride!!
While the turnout early was a bit sparse, perhaps some were waiting to see what the weather would do, there was still a fair amount of people gathered against the guard rail to the pit decked out in their BB merch (shout out to the lady who had a matching band hoodie AND tote bag!). As the other photographers and I gathered in the pit, we discovered the stage was adorned with 5 huge vertical panels pretty far down stage and both a drum kit and keyboards set 10 feet up on platforms! Immediately our brains started trying to map out how we were going to navigate those to get the best images possible, however, that was not necessary to begin with, as the first band of the night only needed the edge of the stage to deliver!
Kami Kehoe
Kami Kehoe is an LA based solo artist who has released 3 studio albums in 3 years, with the latest, LOVE IS A WEAPON having dropped less than two weeks before this show. Known for her seamless ability to deliver searing vocals just as easily from behind a drum kit as she can centre stage, she kicked off the night in just that fashion!
As her band started into the track “PSYCHO”, Kehoe, decked in an oversized black leather jacket and pants, took her seat behind the kit and ripped right into it! After a verse and chorus, she swapped out with her drummer, took the mic and took command. Strutting back and forth she would get as close to the fans as possible, leaning over the monitors and singing to the very appreciative crowd! After finishing the first song, she quipped “it’s hot” and ditched the coat. I can confirm dear reader; it was indeed a humid one at the amphitheatre on this day and was surprised the jacket lasted as long as it did!
Barring a couple of sound issues that seemed to happen off the top (let’s blame the humidity!) she and her bandmates put on a great show. Working through “SOMETHING IN THE WATER”, “UR GONE”, “Fade Out” and “THE END”, I was struck with how adept she was at moving from playing the crowd to playing the camera for the crowd. In several instances she was crouched down singing right into the lens of the videographers. I was a little thrown off initially, but when I looked up at the big screens, there she was staring right down the barrel at us! Such a great way to connect with those that made it here for her early start. And I suppose something those of us of a certain age (ie old) aren’t quite used to!
After “LOVE IS A WEAPON” the title track of the new album, Kehoe hopped right back behind the kit for “SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” and further demonstrated her prowess on the drums. Effortlessly twirling sticks, singing and headbanging, it was impressive to watch. After the song ended, she graciously gave the drumsticks to a little metal head down front at the barrier! Hold on to those kid, that’s “core memory” stuff! Before closing with “DOPAMINE” she took time to tell us it was her “first time in Canada. I love it here! A little hot, but it’s great”. Judging by the reception she received as she left the stage, Canada’s feeling is mutual!
Kami Kehoe Photo Gallery (all photos by: Justin Michael Carriere)
Starset
Next up we were about to discover how the five vertical screens were going to be put to use courtesy of Starset… To be honest I’m a little unsure where to start because the first thing I have written in the notes section of my phone is “what did I just witness??” but I am writing an article, so I will do my best to describe it!
With the fog machine kicked into high gear, the screens illuminated, ominous undertones played over the speakers, and 6 fully helmeted figures dressed all in white took up their respective positions on the stage like sentinels on guard… once they were in place, a lone silhouette appeared and as it seemingly materialized into corporeal form, and there, before the RBC crowd stood what I can only describe as Lord Sauron made whole…
So… yeah, that’s how it started!! Absolutely stunning visuals and while I can only speak for myself on this one, I felt transported into the Starset universe.
Before I go on about the actual performance itself, let me tell you a bit about them! A cinematic rock band, and self-proclaimed media collective, the project was formed in Columbus, Ohio by Dustin Bates in 2013. Bates is a PhD candidate in electrical engineering which sounds… hard, but thankfully he has managed to carve out the time to lead a sonically interstellar symphony with his compatriots; Ron DeChant (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Brock Richards (guitars, backing vocals), Adam Gilbert (drums, percussion), Siobhán Richards (violin, keyboards), Zuzana Engererova (cello) and Cory Juba (guitars, synths, soundboard, drum pads). With 5 studio albums to their credit, and a new single out Friday the 11th, the band weaves a complex fictional narrative through their music that is ever evolving.
Opening their set in full visual feast mode with “p a r a d 0 x 1 c” Bates was on a set of steps in full dark lord mode “guarded” by Richards and Engererova. Blistering through the tune it was a crazy opening which thrilled the RBC crowd. Bates has perfect command of his Bennington-esque vocal range replete with a deep primal scream which was made all the more impressive given he was masked up!
Moving into “Carnivore”, with the opening bars courtesy of Engererova and her cello, the visuals continued to impress. Swirling images filled the screens and each band member moved with a precision that kept their world alive… were these humans, automatons, both?? It was mesmerizing watching them perform.
Before the band launched into “Brave New World”, Bates discarded the mask and moved front and centre where he stalked the stage and was constantly on the move (a bit of a photographic challenge for those of us in the pit!). But his presence was undeniable and with the backing of his “space cult” they tore through “Monster” and “SILOS” before treating us to the aforementioned new track “a n n 1 h 1 l a t 1 0 n” with Bates informing us a new album is in the works.
Closing their time with “TokSik” and “My Demons” we were invited to join their space cult, and while I normally don’t go in for that sort of thing, suffice to say I’ve become a convert, and I look forward to all things Starset hurtling forwards!
Starset Photo Gallery (all photos by: Justin Michael Carriere)
Chevelle
Once the intergalactic dust has settled from Starset’s performance, the vertical screens were moved upstage to make space for the next band on the bill, Chevelle. Formed in 1995 by brothers Peter and Sam Loeffler in Illinois, the hard rock duo has remained together amidst a few line-up changes on the bass guitar. With Loeffler (Pete) on guitar and vocals and Loeffler (Sam) on the drums, they’ve recruited bassist Kemble Walters to join on this tour. The band has 10 studio albums to their credit and show no signs of stopping after 30 years with their latest album Bright as Blasphemy having dropped in 2025.
With a straightforward set up, and in stark contrast to Starset, the stage simply had two mic stands and Loeffler’s drum set raised a bit and off to one side. They kicked off their time with “Family System” and drove right through into “Self Destructor”. Both Loefflers are peak rock band practioners. I guess that’s a fancy way of saying these guys kick ass and have been doing it well for nigh on three decades! I mention this because there seemed to be a bit of a sound issue on the third track of the night, “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)”. But not missing any beats, or getting distracted, Peter (I’ll use first names for these guys to keep it clear!) cooly adjusted his wireless pack, made a couple of gestures to the sound board team and kept right on moving! It’s the sort of thing a veteran rocker can do in front of thousands of fans and keep the train on the tracks.
With Peter’s heavy crushing guitar sound pairing perfectly with Sam’s thudding drums, Walters is right there with his rumbling bass lines and an assist on backing vocals. Moving through “Pale Horse”, “An Island” and “Face to the Floor” the band had narration and text projected onto the screen with “the mind doesn’t need your control, it needs your presence” as the final line before the band exploded into “The Clincher”.
Jumping into “Forfeit”, Peter put in the lyric “Sam wants to fight” as he threw a smile to his brother. This was another heavy tune that was an absolute highlight of the set, with Peter getting his scream on, Sam slamming on his kit and Walters letting the rock star hair fly! Next up they went into “Send the Pain Below” and that had the RBC crowd on their feet. On that note; it definitely took people a bit of time to warm into the night, but I think this song was the catalyst for the collective “now we stand!”
Before going into “Comfortable Liar” Peter addressed the audience saying, “whatever you hear coming out of these speakers is all as organic as it gets, it’s just three dudes with their instruments” That’s some straight up rock and roll there! And if that hadn’t covered it, Peter asked, “Toronto, scream for me if you like real shit…” and Toronto responded unequivocally yes!
Flying through “Comfortable Liar” and “The Red”, the latter of which was the singalong song for the night, the band closed with “Mars Simula”, which had me wondering if the theme for the evening might be space travel! Overall, a tight set from a band who has not lost a step after over thirty years of rocking and rolling.
Chevelle Photo Gallery (all photos by: Justin Michael Carriere)
Breaking Benjamin
Once the stage had been cleared/reset it was time for Breaking Benjamin. By this point the RBC Amphitheatre was pretty full and the anticipation was running high! As us photographers were gathered in the pit chatting, the lights went down, and up on the vertical screens (which were now fully to the back and raised up) a familiar blue background appeared with “Windows XP” written on it! The sequence that followed was hilariously familiar as a ghost mouse opened up LimeWire (iykyk), selected a whole wack of Breaking Benjamin tunes, hit download and then proceeded to freeze displaying infinite error text boxes!
The band then launched right into “I Will Not Bow”. From the outset the sound was great, and the whole group was on point. One thing that was evident right from the beginning however, and would prove challenging for us photographers, is that Mr. Burnley has a sensitivity to the bright stage lights, so to accommodate, he is not lit… at all… and can only be seen in moments courtesy of spill light or side light. So! We must have all come across as rather obsessed paparazzi clustered in the centre of the pit with our lenses trained squarely on him to start! But I assure you dear reader (and Mr. Burnley!), we were not in fact obsessed, it just took us a little bit longer than usual to get our settings recalibrated so we could capture the man in his element! And was he ever! Sharp as a tack with his guitar work, and vocals just as clean and razor precise as we’ve come to expect.
Having been open about health struggles in the past, he seems to be right at home behind the mic. As the band moved through “Until the End” and “Evil Angel” our time in the pit came to an end, and us photographers filed out. After stowing my gear away as quickly as possible, I was famished and scarfed down a slice of pizza faster than I think I ever have as I didn’t want to miss more of the set than I had to! Making it back to my seat just after “Crawl” and for the beginning of “Red Cold River” I settled in to watch and as I was taking in the now fully standing crowd, I noticed the gentleman beside me was singing along. Not anything revelatory, but what I found unique was that it was on the latter tune, which is a bit of a deeper cut (I didn’t know the words!) so I made a note to check back in on Lyrics Guy throughout.
Next song of the night was “Blow Me Away” made popular for the band by being featured on the Halo 2 Original Soundtrack. And much like the opening video, the graphics accompanying the song was a throwback to the first-person shooter POV style! Moving right into “Follow”, “Angels Fall”, and “You” the former featured a full amphitheatre singalong!
When the band got to their track “So Cold” that’s when fanboy Justin kicked in and I ditched the notes and listened. Having been featured heavily on several of my mix cd’s in the mid 2000’s it was my turn to sing along! As was everyone else which was good, so my terrible singing was drowned out and Burnley’s scorching vocals easily cut through all of it! Moving back into note taking mode, I checked in on Lyrics Guy for “Polyamorous” and “Dear Agony” and sure enough, word for word. Was I becoming a bit of a creeper with these side glances… possibly… But it was all in the name of thorough journalism!!
The band themselves were on fire, so much so that for the first time in my experience, they had folks crowd surfing at RBC! I even caught glimpses of mini mosh pits! Breaking Benjamin brought out the hooligan tendencies of Toronto on this night, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way! Before continuing on with the next track, Burnley took a moment to address the little metal head saying “I gotta get a pick to my little dude here in the front row, he’s been singing along” He proceeded to toss it into the crowd being sure that everyone helped get the little man his guitar pick and of course they obliged… I love rock shows!
When the band started into their newest track “Something Wicked” I took another quick look to lyrics guy and again, word for word! For a new song, that’s impressive. Another testament to the band and it’s enduring fandom. And they’ve earned it.
At this point, it almost seemed like they kicked things into an even higher gear. Both Rauch and Wallen, the latter sporting a Dolly Parton cut off tee in honour of the late country music queen, demonstrated clean and crisp technique. While that doesn’t exactly come across as effusive praise, it absolutely is! Keeping a three-guitar attack on track is not simple, and they made it sound effortless and had a hell of a good time doing it! Bruch for his part has got a metal scream in him worthy of any acts I’ve seen, and Medeiros probably smiles more than any drummer I’ve ever witnessed, and it’s all indicative of the love they have for the music, despite more than a few obstacles over the years.
They worked through “Breath”, “Awaken”, “Failure” and “Dance with the Devil” complete with fire and flames projected onto the stage while both Rauch and Wallen were on the upper platform blasting away! And one last check on Lyric Guy confirmed he had in fact pitched a perfect game!
Before launching into “Diary of Jane” to close out the night, Burnley took the time to thank the other artists on the bill, and his gratitude was as genuine as I’ve heard, and he signed off simply by saying “until we meet again”. The final performance was killer and before walking off the stage the band members handed out drumsticks and guitar picks and waved as they exited.
Set List
I Will Not Bow
Until the End
Evil Angel
Crawl
Red Cold River
Blow Me Away
Follow
Angels Fall
You
So Cold
Polyamorous
Dear Agony
Something Wicked
Breath
Awaken
Failure
Dance With the Devil
The Diary of Jane
Another amazing night of rock music on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny evening in Toronto. And guess what? Lyric Guy fist bumped me on the way out!!
5 intergalactic space helmets out of 5
Breaking Benjamin Photo Gallery (all photos by: Justin Michael Carriere)
Breaking Benjamin Online
Show Date: September 9, 2026
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